@article{Ge2025, 
author = {Min Ge and Yuancong Wang and Yuhe Liu and Lihua Ning and Ling Zhou and Shuaiqiang Liang and Yibo Wu and Tifu Zhang and Han Zhao},
title = {The transcription factor ZmNLP5 increases maize grain yield by regulating nitrogen assimilation genes},
year = {2025},
journal = {The Crop Journal},
volume = {13},
number = {6},
pages = {1762-1772},
keywords = {Maize, Nitrogen signaling and metabolism, Transcription factors, NIN-like protein (NLP)},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1016/j.cj.2025.07.011},
doi = {10.1016/j.cj.2025.07.011},
abstract = {Nitrogen (N) is crucial for maize (Zea mays L.) growth, development and yield. Dysfunction of the maize NIN-like protein 5 (ZmNLP5) reduces N assimilation, but the precise mechanism by which ZmNLP5 modulates N metabolism and its contribution to agricultural applications are not well understood. In this study, our transcriptomic profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) analyses reveal 581 ZmNLP5-modulated target genes. We confirmed that ZmNLP5 physically interacted and transactivated contributors to N assimilation, including ZmNRT1.1D, ZmNIR1.1, ZmNR2.1, ZmGS4, ZmAS1, and ZmLBD6. Overexpression of ZmNLP5 upregulated N metabolism genes, and enhanced the enzymatic activities of nitrate reductase and glutamine synthase. Furthermore, overexpressing ZmNLP5 increased grain yield under both normal-N and low-N conditions. Introgression of the overexpressed ZmNLP5 allele into Zhengdan 958 resulted in comparable yield increases in field trials. Our study unveiled that ZmNLP5 is a potential genetic target for increasing nitrogen use efficiency and grain yield in maize.}
}